Lifting Up Oklahoma

Like most adults in the United States, my mind is turned towards Oklahoma today.  We live practically next door and down the street.  It is very, very close to home.  That place is scarred worse than a battle ground this morning.  Sweet babies can no longer be cradled.  Families are ripped apart.  What do you say?  You can't say anything, really.  All you can do is breathe a prayer that tries to encompass everything you feel. 

I'm grateful.  My husband was is Wichita on Sunday afternoon.  He had to drive around Oklahoma City to avoid the storms.  He came home to me on Sunday night, safe.  Unscathed.  I can wrap my arms around him and feel the life in his body.  And that, my friends, is grace.  Weather doesn't discriminate.  My children are safe today.  Even though the thunder frightened Lille Pige this morning, we sang our favorite song (My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music) and we could be happy and at peace again.  Drengen got a little mud on his shoes, but that's just because of wet dirt, not a terrible storm. 

I'm grieved.  I cannot imagine, nor begin to express what the people are feeling in Moore this morning.  Dawn didn't bring much of a new day, just a glaring light on the loss of the day before.  I won't even dwell on it, because it seems so hollow and selfish.  My grief is NOTHING.  They have lost so much, and I am only watching. 

I'm prayerful.  Enough said. 

I'm hopeful.  Grace is sufficient, people.  Even in the face of loss and tragedy.  It rings so hollow today, but ask the survivors what got them out of the rubble.  Ask them what will keep them going.  It's hope.  It's a gift we are given and must preserve.  Pray for hope in the hearts of the survivors and responders.

Please.  Today.  Right now.  Choose your organization and gather up what you can and get it to a disaster.  If not this disaster, one closer to you.  If not one in America, there are plenty of souls worldwide that need YOU today.  If all you can do is pray, DO IT. 

 

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Happy Half-Birthday, Bitsy

Getting ready for her first run.

 

I loved having my baby with me today.

 

 

Best part?  Babies in jogging strollers covering ground like to nap!

 

Our ladybug friend. 

Covering Ground

Bitsy will be six WHOLE months old tomorrow. While I am mourning the end of my tiny newborn days, I am looking forward to all sorts of things that are ahead for us.  One of those things? 

RUNNING. 

Five years ago, my husband agreed to buy me a BOB Revolution.  Lille Pige was about the same age as Bitsy is now.  We lived in a small town in Western Nebraska and sidewalks were hit or miss, so my stroller sort of made me feel like my arms were going to vibrate right out of socket.  It started a love affair that ended last year about this time when Lille Pige was in our beloved BOB for the last time.  She was getting so tall that it was comical, even though she hadn't met the weight limit.

Not long ago, I went out to our shop building and took a look at my BOB.  It was dusty, cat-hairy, and pretty gross. And it had two flat tires. I wasn't about to put my baby in that thing.  Since my husband collects air compressors, I started there.  Le Roi changed the tires out for me, too.  And, then I forgot about it.  Today, I had Drengen taking some stuff out of the house to the shop and I told him to blow the stroller off with the air compressor and bring it up.  I pulled off some of the accessories and tossed them into the wash.  I had Drengen hook the water hose up with a high pressure nozzle and I got ta' scrubbin' on my stroller. 

Before long, I decided that it was looking pretty good.  It is currently drying in the garage.  And I can't wait.  Even Ruffian got all hyper when he saw it unfolded and waiting on a good run.   Tomorrow morning, bright and early - we're heading out on a new adventure.  I'm taking my freshly minted 1/2 year old on her first run in the BOB. 

I have to say, it's a little bittersweet.  Lille Pige ran her hands over the buckles and said, "I used to run with you, Momma.  We went for miles and miles together."  We did.  She was my constant little running buddy who would cheer me on and whine when it was hot or cold, but always, ALWAYS wanted to go.  She would grab her water bottle, hat, sunglasses and snack as soon as she saw me reach for my running shoes. She was with me when I first started running. She was with me when I took my last run before I had to stop when I got pregnant.  The resistance that stroller and her little body provided made me ferocious fast when I wasn't running with her. I picked her up and held her close and told her that we'd still do plenty of things together.  We're currently working on her bike riding skills so we can set out as a family of five one some distance someday soon.  Until then, I'll miss her chirping and singing and "one more mile, Momma!!!" that has been with me for so many runs. 

Lille Pige, May 2008

 

 





 

At the Pool Summer 2008

 

 

Wyoming State Fair 2008

 

 

October 2008

 

 

Halloween 2008

 

 

Election Day 2008

 

 

One-Handed Chocolate Covered Cherry Protein Smoothie

I love chocolate.  It's one of my favorite inanimate objects.  But, most chocolate has diary.  And sugar.  And I'm trying to avoid both.  Dairy, because Bitsy's tummy thinks it is of the devil.  Sugar, because my skinny jeans are gathering dust.  However, a girl has to have her chocolate. 

And, I found a way. 

*cue 'Reunited and it feels so good...*

We'll call it the One-Handed Chocolate Covered Cherry Protein Smoothie. 

Sad, empty blender...

 

 

 Our lovely cast of characters...

 

 

 This is a large handful of spinach.  It is good for you and it hides well in this.

 

This is a scoop of protein powder.  I use PlantFusion Vanilla Bean.  They don't know who I am.  But I wish they did because we would be BFF'S. I love this stuff.  It isn't nashty.  This is also a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.  I could mention the health benefits, but who cares? CHOCOLATE.

 

These are frozen cherries.  You can count them if you want to.  I usually get 3 smoothies out of a bag.

 

 

I fill it up to about 1.75 cups with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  Because dairy hates my baby.

 

Yummy goodness is blending.  Baby is screaming.  Go pick up baby. 

 

Much happier baby. This is the one-handed part.

 

 

Now, Momma is much happier.  So. Yummy.

 

 

This is so refreshing and basically amazingly delicious.  I was even surprised.  It isn't too sweet, has a genuine chocolate flavor that most protein powders tend to fail at achieving and it's healthy.  It is my go to quick meal or snack or just because I WANT IT.  If you're a recipe type, here you go:

 

 

One-Handed Chocolate Covered Cherry Protein Smoothie

 

• 1 enormous handful of baby spinach.  It should look like a salad base is hanging out in your blender.  This is important.  It makes you feel even better about what you're eating. 
• 1 scoop of your chosen vanilla protein powder.  I personally love PlantFusion and it's all I use.  That's because it doesn't have a strong aftertaste or too much stevia.  Or other ilk.
• 1 Tbs of cocoa powder.  This gives it a lovely dark chocolate flavor.  And, it is actually full of antioxidants.  Or something.  In my case, it's full of magical mood-boosting properties. 
• 1 3/4 cups of your chosen milk.  I use unsweetened Almond milk in all of my protein smoothies and have for some time.  Even when I could drink dairy. 
• 10-15 frozen cherries. Life changing magic is about to happen in your blender. 

 

Blend it in yo' blender.  Pour it in yo' cup.  Put it in yo' belly.  

 

Mother's Day

My older children are unloading my dishwasher.  My baby is asleep on my chest.  I just tickled my lips with her long eyelashes. 

Today, I am happy to be a mother. I am grateful for this 13 year gig. 

I wouldn't trade a single tear, pain, squabble, smile, giggle, booger, diaper, shoelace, scrape or mess. 

Monkey Toes

 

Ain't nothin' sweeter than a baby....or her toes.

So What If It Isn't Really Monday Confessional

Three kids.  It's catching up with me, yo.

We stay busy around here.  In the last few weeks, Drengen has completed his compulsory state testing, track season and a wicked growth spurt.  Lille Pige has found new ways to set the air on fire with her wit, sass, and fashion sense.  Bitsy has decided that she likes to roll around and grab everyone's cups. 

I've been baking.  I've also been discovering how much I love canned coconut milk.  Bitsy's sensitivities are pretty broad spectrum, but I'm learning how to eat for both of us.  Basically, wheat, diary, unfermented soy and chickpeas and peanuts are a no-go around here. I've figured out how to make wheat/grain free bread and this dairy free chocolate pudding concoction that is basically to die for.  Bonus?  I finally started losing that darn baby (and before baby) weight.  I'm here to tell you - going grain and dairy free CAN BE DONE.  And it isn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I feel better.  Even though we are running on less sleep (yeah, her good sleeping days are OVER) I have plenty of energy to get things done around here.  It's exciting.  I just wish I had done this a long, long time ago.  As I look back on the difficulty we had with Lille Pige, I think we had very similar issues and I just didn't cut enough food groups out to keep her comfortable. 

I have started moving clothes around for the season change.  The girls have a stuffed set of drawers and an over flowing closet.  I actually sold a few things recently - some that Bitsy had outgrown and some that I'm just *over*.  Drengen's closet is a ghost town.  He hates clothes shopping, but won't let me shop for him.  I'm just thankful he's dressed every day.  I might have to borrow some space from him, though....

The weather is driving me nuts.  It has been so hot the last few days, and it's about to swing nearly 40 degrees in the other direction. Wait....just checked.  Make that FIFTY degrees. And the wind is doing a number on my dusting schedule.

Alright.  I've used up my window.  The baby is up and it's time to get to playin'!  Have a great week!